Fulham vs Southampton prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2024-12-21 14:00.
[p]Fulham are continually proving that they could be genuine contenders for a European spot this Premier League season, after a run of one defeat in their last eight matches (W3, D4) has put them on the shoulder of the top six. They’ve ruffled some feathers in the title race this month too, with their last two games being 2-2 and 1-1 draws against Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, proving that they can compete with anyone on their day. [/p]
[p]Plenty of their success can be attributed to their attacking prowess, as since their 1-0 loss to Manchester United on the opening day, Fulham have found the net in their subsequent 15 top-flight matches to possess the joint-longest scoring streak in the league currently. The west Londoners will be confident of making it 16 when they host lowly Southampton, a side they did the double over in 2022/23, having beaten the Saints just once in their 11 H2Hs prior to that season (D4, L6).[/p]
[p]Southampton fans would trade anything for a result here to end their current seven-game winless sequence (D1, L6), most recently suffering Carabao Cup elimination in midweek at the hands of Liverpool (2-1). They did at least show a lot more fight in that encounter though than they did in their last Premier League outing, a 5-0 rout by Tottenham Hotspur, which dug their hole at the bottom of the table even deeper.[/p]
[p]The Saints sacked Rusell Martin after that Spurs result, with Simon Rusk now in interim charge, but whatever he may achieve in this match may not raise spirits over Christmas, as Southampton will be bottom on the 25th December for the first time in their top-flight history. And a trip to London could see Rusk at risk of a baptism by fire, as the South Coast outfit have lost on eight of their last ten Premier League visits to the capital (W1, D1). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz could be in contention to start here after scoring against Liverpool last Saturday – the second time he has come off the bench to find the net this term. He may face Southampton centre-back Jan Bednarek, who has helped keep four clean sheets in his six encounters against the Cottagers (W3, D1, L2). [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Fulham have scored the opening goal the joint-most times this Premier League season (12) prior to the weekend. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]